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Mental Health

Navigating The Holidays & Mental Health: Hotline Compilation

Mayahuel Crane

I am not a mental health professional, this article references hotlines that are/have been useful for me and people close to me.

Happy holidays! With finals season and the beginning of winter break, December can be stressful and overwhelming. I’ve always found comfort in knowing there are people who’ve been through the same things I have and can help me. Holidays especially can be difficult, and a very useful tool for me has always been hotlines. Being able to vent how I feel and have someone there listening helped me tremendously.

Over the years, I’ve compiled a list of hotlines that have been useful for my friends and me. Below is the list divided by categories: suicide, general, self harm, eating disorders, LGBTQ+, and abuse. I also like to remind myself that it doesn’t matter if I feel like my situation isn’t “bad enough” or “others have it worse” because everyone deserves to feel okay. 

Have a wonderful break, everyone! :) You are so important and you make the world better just by being here.

Suicide

General Hotlines and Helplines

  • Depression Hotline: 1-888-640-5174 or 1-630-482-9696
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264
  • GriefShare, a group of people who will walk alongside you through one of life’s most difficult experiences, contact number: 1-800-395-5755
  • Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222 or 1-800-942-5969
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357 (TTY: 1-800-487-4889)
  • Bullying: 1-800-420-1479
  • Teen Line, a 501(c)3 organization that helps teens and provides education and support to the community, hotline: 1-800-852-8336

Self Harm

  • S.A.F.E. (Self Abuse Finally Ends): 1-800-DONT-CUT
  • Self Harm Hotline: 1-877-455-0628

Eating Disorders

  • National Eating Disorders Association Helpline: Call or text 1-800-931-2237 or chat online
  • National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders Helpline: 888-375-7767

For LGBTQIA+ Individuals

Abuse

Hey, y’all! My name is Maya Crane, and I’m a first-year government major at the University of Texas at Austin. After undergrad, I plan on going to law school to pursue humanitarian law. I’m a huge political buff, and I love to research and write in my free time. I also love concerts, being with friends, and anything pink!